Surveillance behavior of PLA keeps LAC disturbed, Govt. he says

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses a bi-weekly press conference in New Delhi, October 23, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) has been “disrupted” by the patrolling behavior of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday (Oct 23, 2026) in response to questions regarding a report in The Hindu on skirmishes along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

The report, which quoted outgoing Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur as expressing concern over the “incident” going on since July 2026, drew sharp criticism from the Congress.

VIDEO | New Delhi: MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press conference, “As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas has been disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling patterns. Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations as both sides have agreed to an understanding of the Line of Actual Control (LLAACC). suitable areas for better border management I would also like to emphasize that maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.” (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 23, 2026

Despite confirmation from the ministry, the video of Mr. Kapur’s speech, delivered at an event in Alwar on Thursday (October 22, 2026), has been deleted from ITBP’s official YouTube channel. It was the first time the government officially accepted that border areas remain tense and “disturbed” over patrol routes, more than two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an easing of tensions between their militaries.

“As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling patterns,” ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a briefing, blaming the PLA for the discrepancies.

“Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control,” he added, referring questions about the specific situation to the Defense Ministry.

Mr Jaiswal also reiterated the government’s position since the beginning of the four-year military presence in the LAC, including the Galwan clashes in 2020, that “maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations”, and said both sides were in touch to improve understanding of the LAC for “better border management”.

The government’s reaction came after the opposition demanded clarification on the situation in Arunachal Pradesh. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked PM Modi to explain the “ongoing face-off” between Indian and Chinese troops at several places along the Arunachal Pradesh border, asking whether India’s patrolling approach was

In a post on X, Mr Kharge said the confirmation of the ITBP force chief stationed in the LAC was “deeply alarming”.

The Congress chief claimed that Mr Modi’s statement in June 2020 that no one had entered Indian territory after the Galwan clashes had emboldened China.

At a press conference, Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera praised ITBP’s “Shaurya Commandos” for handling confrontations with China, but accused the government of suppressing information from the border.

“The fact that China entered our territory doesn’t bother (the government), it bothers them that it was announced,” Khera said, adding that “image is more important to them than the interests of the country”.

Congress questioned the government’s easing of restrictions on Chinese investment and the growing trade deficit.

“India’s trade deficit with China has come even closer to a record $112 billion in 2025-26, up from $99 billion the previous year. This has simply crushed our small and medium enterprises across many industries,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in the post, adding, “Make in India has become an import from China. This staggering trade deficit is itself a very significant threat to our economic security.”

Published – 23 Oct 2026 18:49 IST